Musa sapientum fixa est in aure.
For a translation, please see this page on the BBC H2G2 website. My thanks to Alex on YLUG for pointing me in that direction. Why that quote? Well, maybe because I managed to get up at a roughly normal time, a bit past seven of the clock, today unlike Thursday. Why not Thursday? Well, I slept through my alarm and didn't get up until eight twenty eight. Why? I had earplugs in. Why? Because my idiot housemates decided three o'clock in the morning is the ideal time to play loud music. I still just about managed to get to work before nine though.
It struck me, during a conversation on the YLUG irc channel, that blogs are an ideal tool to use for helping to learn a language. Perhaps I could learn Latin again or possibly something more useful such as French.
A few geeky things know, as if learning Latin isn't geeky enough.
Last night I purchased a fun little game. Starscape, made by Moonpod, is a fun top down shooter with research and development in the style of the unbeatable X-COM. It is great fun, classic gaming and is from a small independent developer, which suits my current mood. Give the demo a try. (I haven't tested it under cedega yet, but I shall do and let you know).
Being able to try other games under cedega of course requires more hard drive space. I thought of a cunning plan to deal with problems, buy a new hard drive. So, after some scary moments thinking that Toshiba use strange drive sizes, which turned out to be what is now industry standard slimline drives, I have ordered a shiny 40GB Seagate beasty. I await with much anticipation. Because when it turns up I get to do another Win98 install and another Debian net install. Yay.
That is the end, barring one small note - can I manage to correctly select the text entered here (ctrl-A) rather than publishing it (ctrl-S) this time? Multiple failures in the past suggest not.
Non sum pisces.
30 April 2005
29 April 2005
Politics
I am afraid I am going to sink in to the dull world of British politics. Sorry.
Last night, the three major party leaders appeared on Question Time. During this it appears (I didn't watch it) that Mr Blair discovered that some GPs surgeries won't make appointments for more than two days in advance for the first time. I can't believe that, everybody that I know who has had call to go to the doctor, my Grandmother, Father, Mother have all said this, in one case appointments couldn't be made more than a single day ahead. I was rather under the impression that it was government policy, although I appear to have been wrong about that. It is a stupid system for so many reasons and needs changing.
Yesterday the Attorney General's legal advice on the recent invasion of Iraq was published. The Government line up to that point was that all advice from a lawyer, like that from a doctor if you get to see one, should be completely confidential and that applies to governments as well as individuals.
I agree with that stance and think that publishing the advice was wrong for exactly that reason. It was done to keep the media happy and shows a distinct lack of moral courage.
Let me be quite clear, while I defend the Government's right to keep the legal advice secret, I in no way agree with the war. I can't comment on the legal issues, not having read the advice nor being an international lawyer, but I do not think the invasion was morally justified at that point in time.
Do I further subscribe to the view that Blair lied? Yes, I do, but I don't hold that against him for two reasons. First, he did what he thought was the right thing to do. I may disagree with his opinion but I have no doubt that he made his decisions with the best of intentions and with all his intelligence and humanity. Secondly, I am not so naive that I think that any politician or leader of any sort can rule effectively while be completely honest.
While I wish that everyone could tell the truth all of the time, and I am labouring to do so myself, I think that while the world is such that if anything less than an overwhelming majority of people are always honest, those that are will be swamped and oppressed. This is particularly true in government and for a stable and effective leadership.
Don't think that I am giving our politicians to lie as and when suits them, such actions need to be very carefully considered and restricted as much as possible, but in some limited circumstances I can understand it and accept it.
Meanwhile, at our children's trampolining club, I was cornered yet again into personal questions by a couple of the older girls. I told the truth, didn't avoid the discussion and it felt good and clean. Or at least not bad
Be honest people, the truth is the way to go.
Last night, the three major party leaders appeared on Question Time. During this it appears (I didn't watch it) that Mr Blair discovered that some GPs surgeries won't make appointments for more than two days in advance for the first time. I can't believe that, everybody that I know who has had call to go to the doctor, my Grandmother, Father, Mother have all said this, in one case appointments couldn't be made more than a single day ahead. I was rather under the impression that it was government policy, although I appear to have been wrong about that. It is a stupid system for so many reasons and needs changing.
Yesterday the Attorney General's legal advice on the recent invasion of Iraq was published. The Government line up to that point was that all advice from a lawyer, like that from a doctor if you get to see one, should be completely confidential and that applies to governments as well as individuals.
I agree with that stance and think that publishing the advice was wrong for exactly that reason. It was done to keep the media happy and shows a distinct lack of moral courage.
Let me be quite clear, while I defend the Government's right to keep the legal advice secret, I in no way agree with the war. I can't comment on the legal issues, not having read the advice nor being an international lawyer, but I do not think the invasion was morally justified at that point in time.
Do I further subscribe to the view that Blair lied? Yes, I do, but I don't hold that against him for two reasons. First, he did what he thought was the right thing to do. I may disagree with his opinion but I have no doubt that he made his decisions with the best of intentions and with all his intelligence and humanity. Secondly, I am not so naive that I think that any politician or leader of any sort can rule effectively while be completely honest.
While I wish that everyone could tell the truth all of the time, and I am labouring to do so myself, I think that while the world is such that if anything less than an overwhelming majority of people are always honest, those that are will be swamped and oppressed. This is particularly true in government and for a stable and effective leadership.
Don't think that I am giving our politicians to lie as and when suits them, such actions need to be very carefully considered and restricted as much as possible, but in some limited circumstances I can understand it and accept it.
Meanwhile, at our children's trampolining club, I was cornered yet again into personal questions by a couple of the older girls. I told the truth, didn't avoid the discussion and it felt good and clean. Or at least not bad
Be honest people, the truth is the way to go.
27 April 2005
Mish Mash
It is time that I caught up with the long list of random notes in my notebook, so expect a rollercoaster ride through a random collection of thoughts.
I have started watching season five of Babylon Five. I am fairly impressed so far. The new theme is pretty good, being suitably triumphant and cheesy. Long live Christopher Franke. Sheridan's new beard is quite good, although it does now give him a certain resemblance to Jon Anderson. If you ask me this fits in quite well with the feel of B5, I could see some big airy Yes pieces fitting in quite well with the atmosphere. Of the four episodes I have seen, two have been great and two OK.
I was doing some ironing the other day and decided to not hang up a shirt on a particular coat hanger because the colours clashed. This worried me.
Sadly, the great Redeem is finally leaving LSN, albeit with no great fanfare this time. He will be sadly missed. There is maybe not so long left or me as well though.
To perk us all up a bit, there was good news from Somerset where Marcus Trescothick and his wife had a little baby daughter called Ellie. All say awwww together.
I was doing a little juggling and did my trick of shifting my focus away from the balls and into the middle distance. Jugglers, this can be quite hard to start with but if you have a confident and regular pattern it becomes quite easy and is much better for conversations. Anyway, I suddenly realised, given the mental and to some extent physical effort that it took me, how absolutely magical cameras with auto-focus are, especially those that can change focus on the fly. Wow, I thought. Somebody somewhere is very clever.
Bruce Dickinson played some Atomic Rooster on his Rock Show on BBC Radio Six. which was cool. Rooster rock by the way, great tracks with some hard and fast organ work.
I remembered the other day an incident in which I suggested to some rocky friends that I thought that the opening of After Forever by Black Sabbath (on Master of Reality) sounds a little like the Friends theme tune. They wouldn't have it, but I listened to the album earlier in the week and remain convinced. It was probably that they didn't want it to rather than they couldn't hear it.
Hm, what a random selection of randomness.
I have started watching season five of Babylon Five. I am fairly impressed so far. The new theme is pretty good, being suitably triumphant and cheesy. Long live Christopher Franke. Sheridan's new beard is quite good, although it does now give him a certain resemblance to Jon Anderson. If you ask me this fits in quite well with the feel of B5, I could see some big airy Yes pieces fitting in quite well with the atmosphere. Of the four episodes I have seen, two have been great and two OK.
I was doing some ironing the other day and decided to not hang up a shirt on a particular coat hanger because the colours clashed. This worried me.
Sadly, the great Redeem is finally leaving LSN, albeit with no great fanfare this time. He will be sadly missed. There is maybe not so long left or me as well though.
To perk us all up a bit, there was good news from Somerset where Marcus Trescothick and his wife had a little baby daughter called Ellie. All say awwww together.
I was doing a little juggling and did my trick of shifting my focus away from the balls and into the middle distance. Jugglers, this can be quite hard to start with but if you have a confident and regular pattern it becomes quite easy and is much better for conversations. Anyway, I suddenly realised, given the mental and to some extent physical effort that it took me, how absolutely magical cameras with auto-focus are, especially those that can change focus on the fly. Wow, I thought. Somebody somewhere is very clever.
Bruce Dickinson played some Atomic Rooster on his Rock Show on BBC Radio Six. which was cool. Rooster rock by the way, great tracks with some hard and fast organ work.
I remembered the other day an incident in which I suggested to some rocky friends that I thought that the opening of After Forever by Black Sabbath (on Master of Reality) sounds a little like the Friends theme tune. They wouldn't have it, but I listened to the album earlier in the week and remain convinced. It was probably that they didn't want it to rather than they couldn't hear it.
Hm, what a random selection of randomness.
24 April 2005
Caught Up
Despite having many things jotted down to write about, I shall not bother tonight and just put up the last entry from my weekend away.
***
Which is very true of course, but is of no help to those of us who aren't:
1. In possession of Mr Darcy's £10,000 a year,
2. Colin Firth;
and hence are of no interest to the fair Miss Bennet's of this world.
It amused me to realise that Mr Darcy's seat was in Derbyshire, to be the home a century of so later or Oliver Mellors. Had Mr Darcy made comments about Miss Elizabeth Bennet having 'the nicest, nicest woman's arse as is' then Jane Austin would have been very different indeed. But fortunately, Lawrence is Lawrence and Austen is Austen and both are wonderful in their own way and I wouldn't be without either.
While we are on the subject, I noticed a pack of Sainsbury's West Country Cheddar described it's contents as 'mature, well rounded'. Which would seem to be a description that would serve many bottoms as well. For the moment mine is rather scrawny and nothing of any note, but I am sure that such things will change in time.
***
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a large fortune must be in want of a wife.
Which is very true of course, but is of no help to those of us who aren't:
1. In possession of Mr Darcy's £10,000 a year,
2. Colin Firth;
and hence are of no interest to the fair Miss Bennet's of this world.
Darcy, as well as Elizabeth, really loved them; and they were both ever sensible of the warmest gratitude towards the persons who, by bringing her into Derbyshire, had been the means of uniting them.
It amused me to realise that Mr Darcy's seat was in Derbyshire, to be the home a century of so later or Oliver Mellors. Had Mr Darcy made comments about Miss Elizabeth Bennet having 'the nicest, nicest woman's arse as is' then Jane Austin would have been very different indeed. But fortunately, Lawrence is Lawrence and Austen is Austen and both are wonderful in their own way and I wouldn't be without either.
While we are on the subject, I noticed a pack of Sainsbury's West Country Cheddar described it's contents as 'mature, well rounded'. Which would seem to be a description that would serve many bottoms as well. For the moment mine is rather scrawny and nothing of any note, but I am sure that such things will change in time.
23 April 2005
Past and Present
Another of my posts from my weekend away below, but first a few of the things that I have been writing in my notebook.
The weather has been lovely these past few days, sunny and bright. Friday was quite warm as well, the nip in the wind seemed to have gone. It was warm enough that I opened the window in my office. I sat there and decided that the only way that I miss New Milton ( MultiMap map with New Milton ) since having come to York via Southampton is the summers, in particular the New Forest and the beach. As much as the Forest is gorgeous, Yorkshire has its charms as well, so that just leaves the English Channel.
I have now started drinking tea in the office. Which I suppose is quite uninteresting, but marks some changes. I have also recently acquired some Darjeeling, I had forgotten how lovely it is. The description of the champagne of tea is really justified. Barring the minor detail that I don't like champagne that much.
Whoops, I almost forgot. When I had my window open at work, a male house sparrow landed on the windowsill, hopped along and peeped through the open window. Unfortunately, he didn't want to come and do my work for me.
As we are on the subject of birds, old post time.
***
I visited my Grandmother on Saturday with my Mother and we walked from Brockenhurst to New Milton through the New Forest.
The Forest is lovely even in its flatness and lack of Yorkshire bleakness. There were no foals, but lots of bunnies and many birds. Birds spotted and heard included:
Peewits, Swallows, Martins, Thrushes, Blackbirds, Great and Blue Tits, Chaffinches, Stone Chats, Magpies, Crows, a Lark, suspected to be a Wood Lark rather than a sky Lark, Gulls, Robins, an unidentified wader, unidentified finches, Sparrows, Buzzards, Wood Pigeons and Doves.
On Sunday morning we walked down to Weston Shore through the woods and saw several more birds, several pretty flowers and Mr Fishy. Birds included a Plover, Oystercathchers, a Spotted Woodpecker and Chiff-Chaffs as well as others already mentioned. All of they in the middle of a big city with a major port. The modern city isn't just a wasteland of roads and buildings and noise and smells. Nature hangs on and keeps bits beautiful, you just have to know where to look amongst the ugliness of most of man's work.
***
The weather has been lovely these past few days, sunny and bright. Friday was quite warm as well, the nip in the wind seemed to have gone. It was warm enough that I opened the window in my office. I sat there and decided that the only way that I miss New Milton ( MultiMap map with New Milton ) since having come to York via Southampton is the summers, in particular the New Forest and the beach. As much as the Forest is gorgeous, Yorkshire has its charms as well, so that just leaves the English Channel.
I have now started drinking tea in the office. Which I suppose is quite uninteresting, but marks some changes. I have also recently acquired some Darjeeling, I had forgotten how lovely it is. The description of the champagne of tea is really justified. Barring the minor detail that I don't like champagne that much.
Whoops, I almost forgot. When I had my window open at work, a male house sparrow landed on the windowsill, hopped along and peeped through the open window. Unfortunately, he didn't want to come and do my work for me.
As we are on the subject of birds, old post time.
***
I visited my Grandmother on Saturday with my Mother and we walked from Brockenhurst to New Milton through the New Forest.
The Forest is lovely even in its flatness and lack of Yorkshire bleakness. There were no foals, but lots of bunnies and many birds. Birds spotted and heard included:
Peewits, Swallows, Martins, Thrushes, Blackbirds, Great and Blue Tits, Chaffinches, Stone Chats, Magpies, Crows, a Lark, suspected to be a Wood Lark rather than a sky Lark, Gulls, Robins, an unidentified wader, unidentified finches, Sparrows, Buzzards, Wood Pigeons and Doves.
On Sunday morning we walked down to Weston Shore through the woods and saw several more birds, several pretty flowers and Mr Fishy. Birds included a Plover, Oystercathchers, a Spotted Woodpecker and Chiff-Chaffs as well as others already mentioned. All of they in the middle of a big city with a major port. The modern city isn't just a wasteland of roads and buildings and noise and smells. Nature hangs on and keeps bits beautiful, you just have to know where to look amongst the ugliness of most of man's work.
***
20 April 2005
Gallivanting again
I disappeared to my Mother's at the weekend, but fear not, I was writing blog entries in my little black notebook while away.
Before I forget, I should say how much fun I had this morning rearranging my bookshelf.
The first entry from the past then, written on the train to Southampton on Friday afternoon:
***
There was a woman with a tiny little baby (so sweet) and a lad, probably about three years old. The lad took a fancy to one of the baby's toys, which in part consisted of a cute little giraffe. The woman then told the boy that he shouldn't play with it, he is far too old for such things.
What sort of conditioning is that? Telling a child not to play with something because it doesn't fit a preconceived vision of the sort of things three year old boys should enjoy seems wrong.
I suspect if the little one is a girl, she will be expected to play with her little toy oven while changing her dolly's nappy. I shall have to see if the nipper is wearing pink or blue.
***
Note: the little baby was a boy and he was wearing blue.
For your next middle-class Mr Angry ramblings, tune in again later.
Before I forget, I should say how much fun I had this morning rearranging my bookshelf.
The first entry from the past then, written on the train to Southampton on Friday afternoon:
***
There was a woman with a tiny little baby (so sweet) and a lad, probably about three years old. The lad took a fancy to one of the baby's toys, which in part consisted of a cute little giraffe. The woman then told the boy that he shouldn't play with it, he is far too old for such things.
What sort of conditioning is that? Telling a child not to play with something because it doesn't fit a preconceived vision of the sort of things three year old boys should enjoy seems wrong.
I suspect if the little one is a girl, she will be expected to play with her little toy oven while changing her dolly's nappy. I shall have to see if the nipper is wearing pink or blue.
***
Note: the little baby was a boy and he was wearing blue.
For your next middle-class Mr Angry ramblings, tune in again later.
11 April 2005
Petersen isn't, is he?
Everybody is *dead*, Dave. Not Chen? Gordon Bennett! Yes! Chen, everybody. Everybody's dead, Dave.
Fortunately, Kev Pietersen isn't dead, but according to this BBC cricket report he has picked up a small stress fracture just before the start of the season.
Silly boy. Training on holiday. Fancy wanting to push your body that hard all of the time. It would be like going to gym before a trampolining session. Stupid.
With luck, he will be back for Hampshire for the start of the county season. As it says in the report, Kev, Shane and Simon Katich need to fire for us before they toddle off to play for their countries. Oh well, we shall see.
Unfortunately, I found a dead chaffinch this morning which is most upsetting. They are lovely little birds and a beautiful colour. Another little soul to mourn.
Norfolk County Council have an interesting proposal to consider. Described in this BBC news report, there are proposals to make changes to acceptable language in religious Studies teaching. I shall leave the silly bits of political correctness for your own perusal.
The proposal that caught my eye was this:
Now, I seem to remember that one of the main dividing points during the split of Protestantism from the Catholic church was the question of transubstantiation.
This is of course the miracle that occurs during the Catholic mass in which the wine and wafer become the body and blood of Christ.
The spokeswoman on Today this morning said that the wine and wafer are merely a representation of Christ. This is entirely correct from the Protestant point of view.
So does this mean that those making the recommendations are saying that either teaching incorrect facts to children is acceptable, that the Catholic church doesn't actually believe in transubstantiation or that Catholics aren't Christians?
Not so sure why that irritated me so such.
Fortunately, Kev Pietersen isn't dead, but according to this BBC cricket report he has picked up a small stress fracture just before the start of the season.
Silly boy. Training on holiday. Fancy wanting to push your body that hard all of the time. It would be like going to gym before a trampolining session. Stupid.
With luck, he will be back for Hampshire for the start of the county season. As it says in the report, Kev, Shane and Simon Katich need to fire for us before they toddle off to play for their countries. Oh well, we shall see.
Unfortunately, I found a dead chaffinch this morning which is most upsetting. They are lovely little birds and a beautiful colour. Another little soul to mourn.
Norfolk County Council have an interesting proposal to consider. Described in this BBC news report, there are proposals to make changes to acceptable language in religious Studies teaching. I shall leave the silly bits of political correctness for your own perusal.
The proposal that caught my eye was this:
The guidelines also suggest teachers avoid terms such as the "body of Christ" and the "blood of Jesus" because Christians are not actually eating flesh and blood.
Now, I seem to remember that one of the main dividing points during the split of Protestantism from the Catholic church was the question of transubstantiation.
This is of course the miracle that occurs during the Catholic mass in which the wine and wafer become the body and blood of Christ.
The spokeswoman on Today this morning said that the wine and wafer are merely a representation of Christ. This is entirely correct from the Protestant point of view.
So does this mean that those making the recommendations are saying that either teaching incorrect facts to children is acceptable, that the Catholic church doesn't actually believe in transubstantiation or that Catholics aren't Christians?
Not so sure why that irritated me so such.
10 April 2005
Summer Knocking At The Door
But fortunately not the irritating brat from Neighbour's. Which I am glad to say that I haven't watched for many weeks.
It is a lovely bright sunny day and the weather forecast has suggested that temperatures will soon be on the rise again. Fortunately, this almost managed to coincide perfectly with the start of the domestic cricket season. The usual university warm-up matches have started with no apparent surprises. Ian Blackwell gave Somerset a good start clubbing 191 from 138 against Durham UCCE.
There is no match for Hampshire though. Hopefully, this season should be quite good for Hampshire with a strong squad, international matches coming to the Rose Bowl and a place in First Division of the County Championship. Honours may be wishful thinking, but I think we will do well. I was surprised to see that we have six players from Zimbabwe and South Africa though, presumably under Kolpak or, like Kev Pietersen, naturalised. We have Kev and Shane, wahoo.
Dublin was a great weekend and much fun. The squad did really well in the competition and I was proud of all of them with one exception. That exception clearly being me. My set routine was not as good as it could have been by a long way, although I was happy to have competed my first proper tuck back. My vol went horribly wrong. I was too stiff out of the back drop and flew backwards into the tuck. Well, onto the end deck rather than into the tuck. Oh well, it has driven me to bigger and better things.
I am determined to compete Advanced in Cambridge, and my first session doing straight backs hasn't dimmed either my enthusiasm or confidence in my ability to do so. Straight backs are so much fun. They are physically much more demanding than anything I have done before and I appreciate some of the difficulties felt by people learning them. So much fun though.
Talking of fun, I bought new boots in Dublin, Purple Dr. Martens. They are great. Clearly I had to buy new trousers and a shirt to go with them as nothing I had matched, but you can't complain. Until the credit card bill arrives.
I am off to enjoy the day (and Broadcasting House).
It is a lovely bright sunny day and the weather forecast has suggested that temperatures will soon be on the rise again. Fortunately, this almost managed to coincide perfectly with the start of the domestic cricket season. The usual university warm-up matches have started with no apparent surprises. Ian Blackwell gave Somerset a good start clubbing 191 from 138 against Durham UCCE.
There is no match for Hampshire though. Hopefully, this season should be quite good for Hampshire with a strong squad, international matches coming to the Rose Bowl and a place in First Division of the County Championship. Honours may be wishful thinking, but I think we will do well. I was surprised to see that we have six players from Zimbabwe and South Africa though, presumably under Kolpak or, like Kev Pietersen, naturalised. We have Kev and Shane, wahoo.
Dublin was a great weekend and much fun. The squad did really well in the competition and I was proud of all of them with one exception. That exception clearly being me. My set routine was not as good as it could have been by a long way, although I was happy to have competed my first proper tuck back. My vol went horribly wrong. I was too stiff out of the back drop and flew backwards into the tuck. Well, onto the end deck rather than into the tuck. Oh well, it has driven me to bigger and better things.
I am determined to compete Advanced in Cambridge, and my first session doing straight backs hasn't dimmed either my enthusiasm or confidence in my ability to do so. Straight backs are so much fun. They are physically much more demanding than anything I have done before and I appreciate some of the difficulties felt by people learning them. So much fun though.
Talking of fun, I bought new boots in Dublin, Purple Dr. Martens. They are great. Clearly I had to buy new trousers and a shirt to go with them as nothing I had matched, but you can't complain. Until the credit card bill arrives.
I am off to enjoy the day (and Broadcasting House).
07 April 2005
The Adventure Is Over
Dublin was, as ever, great fun and very worthwhile. I shall expound at greater length in a later post.
I have also diagnosed that the problems with the broadband were down to a faulty router, so a new one has been ordered and shall be here tomorrow. In the meantime, I am borrowing my housemate's ADSL modem. Mmm, internet again.
A and I went to the theatre last night to see Hobson's Choice, twas most amusing, and light hearted.
The main point of my post then. After discovering the happy news about baby Kakapos, the BBC told of a report describing the sorry state of primates, with near a quarter of the six hundred or so species nearing extinction. You should read the full BBC report but the part that caught my eye was this:
(Private joke: at least we have J to keep the Orangs going).
I wonder what football team the different primates support? Ideas on a postcard please.
I have also diagnosed that the problems with the broadband were down to a faulty router, so a new one has been ordered and shall be here tomorrow. In the meantime, I am borrowing my housemate's ADSL modem. Mmm, internet again.
A and I went to the theatre last night to see Hobson's Choice, twas most amusing, and light hearted.
The main point of my post then. After discovering the happy news about baby Kakapos, the BBC told of a report describing the sorry state of primates, with near a quarter of the six hundred or so species nearing extinction. You should read the full BBC report but the part that caught my eye was this:
If you took all the remaining individuals from the 25 primate species on this list and gave them a seat in a football stadium, they'd all fit.Of course, when you have got over the deep desire never to be stewarding that match, the enormity of it hits you. Twenty five species of our closest relatives cannot muster more than a few thousand individuals between them. Some of the most wonderful animals on the planet, Orang-utans, Gorillas and many more, might just disappear. Humans are worse than rats. At least rats can live side by side with other animals.
(Private joke: at least we have J to keep the Orangs going).
I wonder what football team the different primates support? Ideas on a postcard please.
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